SarahLizSewStyle

 Here is this weeks garment - a loose dress for wearing around the house on hot summer nights when you just want something big and baggy to throw on after a shower.  I used Burda 7066: This is a loose A-Line dress that you just pull on over the head - simple and straightforward sewing.  Even though the dress is not much more than a simple bag, I did make a calico to see how the neckline sat as it looked quite wide and deep on the pattern envelope (I made view B). I used a furnishing cotton from Spotlight, which is not high quality, but works well for these simple garments.  It's not heavy weight, just a nice lightweight cotton with a bit of body (mostly from the screen printed stripes). Not a pretty sight, but here is is: Not very inspirational is it?  A piece of old sheet never looks very elegant.  But it does tell me that the sleeve length is fine as I cut them the finished length, the waist position is fine, and the neck is fine as it is.  However, don't f

I quickly made this top yesterday, after finishing Assignment #2. (Hooray!)  It's another version of Burda 7079.  My first version can be found here.    This is the pattern envelope - I used the bodice of dress B as a top pattern - I just added the bottom of top A.   For this version, I cut a smaller size - size 36 instead of 38.  This is because for this top I used a much firmer fabric, so in the slightly larger size was going to sit like a box.  The first version was a lot more soft and drapey, so the larger size worked well.  I wouldn't go any smaller - this top has no opening, and if any smaller, I wouldn't be able to pull it on! I used a cheap furnishing cotton that I purchased from Spotlight.  I frequently check furnishing fabrics "just in case".    It was only AU $4.99 a metre.  It's a simple quick make - sew back seam, sew shoulders, sew facings, attach facings, attach sleeves (flat), stitch side seams together, hem. I chose to

   Yesterday I had a sewing afternoon after a week of not feeling well - the usual winter sinus/ear syndrome arrived.  This top was a quick and easy sew and did not need fitting at all, so it was just an easy sewing job - just what I needed :). I used Burda 7079 and adapted the pattern - I used the bodice hemline from view and the sleeves from view B. View B is a dress, but I preferred the adaptability of a top that can be worn with a variety of other clothes (increasingly me-mades). I used a piece of black calico that was hiding in my stash.  I like black calico for trial run garments - black always looks smart, and no-one can really tell what the fabric is.  This was a nice soft calico, perfect for this sort of top. This top has no fasteners of any kind - just the front and back pieces with facings for the neck area. The slit is easy to sew - I use embroidery scissors for clipping into the corners. The front is shaped by bust darts, and the back has a centre seam th

 I finally managed to do an hour or so of sewing - a quick and simple elastic waist skirt for wearing when I study.  I like to have something on hand that I don't  have to think about, so I can concentrate on what needs doing.  Doing assignments can be tedious, and I find the best way to tackle them is to just get up and get on with it, and I don't need any excuse to procrastinate. This is what the last few weeks have been like: Fun.  By Thursday last week, I was really tired and fed up, so decided a break would do me good - so  I ran up this little skirt.  Just as well, because on Thursday night I think we all found out we had not quite done what we should in the essay, and I spent the weekend working on it.  Anyway, it's finished now :) :) :) Tomorrow I start the next one! Anyway, back to the skirt. I used Kwik Sew 3765: I've made this skirt before in stretch fabrics:   The slightly under-dressed look ( I wouldn't normally wear

Hello everyone, Thank you for your wonderful comments about my frustrations with recent sewing endeavours.  I put it down to energy  being used for challenges elsewhere.  Demanding life changes always catch you out for a while.  However, I am slowly easing back into a routine where both study and sewing can co-exist.  Maybe not always peacefully, but none-the-less. So, energy this week went into more of doing the essay and working out my summer sewing direction.  I have done a wardrobe audit, and need tops to go with all the casual bottoms I made last year. So, it was into the stash (and I also added to the stash during the Spotlight sale - but with a purpose and plan, not just stashing because something appealed to me): I need a pair of trousers for work - I have some fabric in the stash that will do.  I have two shirts that need the sleeves shortened and that will get me out of the crisis for summer necessaries at the office.  It won't be a perfect solution, but a s